precedere
to precede
verb preh-CHEH-deh-reh Less Common
Origin: From Latin praecedere (to go before).
Usage Note
Precedere uses avere in compound tenses (ha preceduto). It means to come before in time, order, or rank. The related adjective precedente (preceding, previous) is very common: il giorno precedente (the day before). Do not confuse precedere with procedere (to proceed, go forward).
Examples
"Un lungo silenzio ha preceduto la sua risposta."
Natural Translation
A long silence preceded his answer.

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